This handout is for colorectal cancer (core). Your care team identified this based on: positive fit or stool-dna test on screening (uspstf 2021).
Other reasons your team may use this plan: polyp/mass identified at colonoscopy requiring biopsy or referral (usmstf 2020); rectal bleeding, occult-blood-positive anemia, or change in bowel habit (nccn colon/rectal 2026); biopsy-confirmed colorectal adenocarcinoma (nccn colon/rectal 2026).
Take these medications exactly as prescribed. Do not stop or change a dose without talking to your provider.
| Medication | Starting dose | How | When | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| fluorouracil | 400 mg/m2 bolus + 2400 mg/m2 over 46h | IV | q2w x 12 cycles (FOLFOX-6) | MOSAIC + IDEA — FOLFOX backbone for high-risk stage III (T4 or N2) x 6 months |
| leucovorin | 400 mg/m2 | IV | q2w with 5-FU | 5-FU modulator in FOLFOX |
| oxaliplatin | 85 mg/m2 | IV | q2w x 12 cycles | Oxaliplatin partner for high-risk stage III; cumulative neurotoxicity monitor |
| capecitabine | 1000 mg/m2 | PO | BID days 1-14 q3w x 4 cycles (CAPOX 3 months) | IDEA (Grothey NEJM 2018 PMID 29590544) — CAPOX 3 months non-inferior to 6 months in low-risk stage III |
Plan: Adjuvant stage III colon — IDEA-driven FOLFOX/CAPOX duration
Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room right away if you have:
NCCN survivorship intervals; Lynch cascade-testing for family if MMR-deficient; high-risk syndrome surveillance (annual EGD/colonoscopy for FAP, gynae screening for Lynch); long-term oxaliplatin neuropathy management; bowel-habit + ostomy care (NCCN Colon/Rectal 2026)
Guideline: NCCN Colon 2026 + NCCN Rectal 2026 + USPSTF 2021 CRC screening + ASCO 2022 metastatic